


Fade Into You

by tinamachina



Category: Labyrinth (1986)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-19
Updated: 2013-05-19
Packaged: 2017-12-12 06:56:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/808615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tinamachina/pseuds/tinamachina
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Twenty years later, someone crashes Sarah's wedding.  Toby tries to kick him out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fade Into You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [EffingEden](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EffingEden/gifts).



> For LJ's commentfic and the "lonely" prompt: "Someone strange gatecrashes Sarah's wedding. Toby tries to kick him out." It's been 3 years but I hope the original prompter likes it!

Toby spotted him right away--the tall, slender, blond gentleman in the black suit who stood at the edge of the party, sipping a glass of champagne.  That gentleman was not on the invite list.

Sarah did not seem to notice him—she was too occupied with chatting with her family and in-laws, dancing with friends and stealing kisses from her new husband. 

Nobody noticed the white barn owl that perched in the rafters of the old country church during the ceremony, either.  But Toby saw it. 

And then, at the outdoor reception, _he_ was there—the man from Sarah’s stories and Toby’s childhood dreams.  Hidden in plain sight, the familiar stranger held Sarah and Toby in his gaze, with a wry smile on his face.

Toby marched straight up to him, keeping his voice low enough not to disturb the other guests, “Get out.”

“Oh, but why?”  Jareth pouted.  “I’m just enjoying this beautiful spring day.  I do love garden parties.  This is certainly a nicer affair than your sister’s first go-around…”

Toby pulled Jareth aside, away from the other guests, behind a row of trees.  “I don’t know what mischief you’re cooking, but this is my sister’s day, so leave her alone!”

Jareth’s expression turned chilly, “I have no further business with your sister.  She has no further need of me.”

“So, why the hell are you here?”  Toby demanded.  “Although, I have to say, the Tom Ford suits you way better than that Ren Faire shit you usually rock.”

Jareth wagged a finger, clicking his tongue.  “Such a foul-mouthed brat, but I do appreciate the appraisal.  You mortals have such boring tastes in fashion.” 

“You even got the hair under control, congrats,” Toby said dryly, although he had to admit to himself that Jareth looked attractively normal in a close-fitting, all-black suit, shirt and tie.  With his long spiky blond hair artfully smoothed and pulled into a pony-tail, with just a couple of loose locks left to frame his make-up-free face, Jareth could totally blend in with Sarah’s “arty” friends.   Heck, even Jareth’s “natural” hair and make-up would barely raise eyebrows amongst Sarah’s crowd. 

“And you make for a very handsome best man,” Jareth raised his glass in a toast, his mismatched eyes appraising Toby in a way that made the young man a little uncomfortable.

“Seriously, why are you here?”  Toby asked for a third time.

Jareth took a sip of his champagne again, casually leaning against a tree.  “I was concerned.  This must be rather difficult for you, losing your sister.”

“What are you talking about?”  Toby snapped.  “It’s her wedding, not her funeral!”

“Ah, but things won’t be the same, will it?”  Jareth gazed into his glass, circling a finger around the rim.  “You and your sister were quite the duo, best of friends, bosom buddies, inseparable,” Jareth sighed.  “But that’s all over and done with.  She’s got a husband now.  No more toting ‘little brother’ to the motion picture shows or sneaking you into the clubs to mingle with her artist friends.  No more bedtime stories or weekend escapes to the nearest pub for a pint—by the way, are you even old enough to be drinking?  Well, doesn’t matter,” Jareth waved dismissively.  “They’ll be no more time for you once the babies come…”

Toby cut him off, “My sister and I will always be the best of friends and I will always be there for her and,” Toby quickly grabbed Jareth by the knot of his black silk necktie, “if you even THINK of laying one greasy finger on my niece or nephew, so help me I will…!”

“Of course not!”  Jareth raised his hands.  “Never…without her permission…”  He muttered under his breath.

“NEVER, EVER…!”  Toby gave Jareth a shake, choking the Goblin King a little.

“I swear I will never harm any child of your family’s!”  Jareth cried out, and then Toby released his grip on his tie.  Jareth cleared his throat, straightening out his collar.  “You are all far too much trouble.”

“And for your info, yes, I’m old enough to drink,” Toby spoke calmly, thoughtfully.  “And…yeah, you’re kinda right.  Things are gonna change.  I mean, of course Sarah’s gonna want to spend more time with my brother-in-law and she’s totally wants kids and soon.  But I’m gonna be the ‘cool uncle’!  I can be the guy who lets her kids stay up late and watch scary movies while she and her hubby are out for the night and tell stories about the Labyrinth…”

“No.”  Jareth raised a hand, interrupting Toby.

“What?”

“No stories,” Jareth said firmly.  “You will tell them nothing, nothing about me, nothing about my world.”

“But,” Toby was confused and taken aback, “why?  Why not?”

“There is nothing to…”  Jareth looked over Toby’s shoulder and…

“Hey!  Little bro!”  Sarah pounced on Toby, a giddy whirlwind of egg-white silk and antique lace.

“Whoa!  Hey, sis!”  Toby almost jumped out of his dress shoes.

“Why did you disappear?”  Sarah was deliriously happy and just the appropriate amount of tipsy.  “Mick was looking to get the groomsmen together for shots but I told him…”  And then Sarah looked right at the man in black. 

Jareth looked right at her, with just the slightest hint of a smile.

Toby felt all the color leave his face, sweat beading under his hair.  _Shit is about to get real_ , Toby held his breath.

“Oh, hi!”  Sarah held out her hand.  “Toby, why didn’t you tell me you invited a friend?  He’s cute.”

Toby’s jaw fell.  “Um, Sarah?”

“I said you could bring a ‘plus-one’,” Sarah ruffled Toby’s choppy hair, “You need to stop worrying about what everyone thinks, especially Dad and Mom!  I’ve got your back!”   She addressed the man in black.  “I’m sorry, we’ve never met.  I’m…”

“Toby’s sister, yes,” Jareth took Sarah’s hand, bowing to kiss it.  “Congratulations, madam!  You look absolutely radiant!”

 _Oh come on_!  Toby screamed in his head.  There is no way that his sister does not know who that man is!  “Sarah, this is Jareth!”

“Cool name!”  Sarah gave the thumbs up.  “Like something out of an old story, the kind I used to tell my baby bro, a long time ago…”  Sarah gave Toby a tight squeeze around the shoulders.

Toby looked at his sister incredulously, _is she that clueless?_ Even in different clothes and with slightly different hair, she has to know that face!  She’d describe that face in brilliant detail…

“They grow up too fast, don’t they?”  Jareth gave Toby a wink.

“Yeah, way too fast,” Sarah sighed.  “You go to school with Toby?  You sound English.”

Toby could not believe his ears.  Sarah seemed to have no idea with whom she was chatting with!

“Anyway, come in and have a drink!  You too!”  Sarah gave Toby a peck on the cheek.  “It’s a party!  Nothing but love today!”  And then Sarah was gone in a whoosh of silk and she was whisked away by an errant conga line.

Toby looked to Jareth, thoroughly confused.  “What the hell?  Didn’t she know…?”

“She has no memory of me,” Jareth said flatly, with just a hint of sadness.

“What!?”  Toby sputtered, “But, she was the one who told me all those stories!  She was THERE!  I shouldn’t even remember ‘cause I was a baby but she should ‘cause she was _there_!”

Jareth shook his head, “It doesn’t matter.  She is long past the age of fairy stories.  She is an adult, well into her thirties, I believe.  Still as fresh and lovely as a spring rose,” Jareth sighed, leaning against a tree.  “I have long fallen into the dark oubliettes of her memory, along with her first husband, hopefully.  There is scarcely room for me and my world in her mind.  There will be room enough for new memories—husband, children, grandchildren.  I become nothing more than a forgotten fairy-tale.  I have accepted it.  They all forget me, eventually.  That is how it should be.”

Toby felt an ache in his chest, a lump in his throat.  So this is what it’s like when childhood dies.

“So, if you know that Sarah won’t remember you,” Toby had to ask again, “why come here--to check on her?  To see if she’s happy?”

Jareth shrugged, “Oh, I am certain that she is happy.  But I’m not here for her.”

“Huh?”  Toby raised an eyebrow.

Jareth turned to Toby, smiled, and extended a hand.  “Can I have this dance?”

Once again, Toby’s mouth fell into an O.  “Me?  Why me?”

“She might have solved my labyrinth to bring you back,” Jareth invited Toby with a come-hither gaze, “but you are mine, always.”

It took a couple of seconds, but the corner of Toby’s mouth pulled up in a half-smile.  He then took a quick “what-the-hell” exhale and grabbed Jareth’s hand.  It just so happened that the music from the party suddenly changed from lively funk-rock to a Lumineers-style cover of “Fade Into You.”

“Is it weird,” Toby allowed Jareth to pull him close, “that my sister seemed to _approve_?”

“Not at all,” Jareth rested his cheek against Toby’s temple, and lead the dance.

“I’m gonna be okay, you know,” Toby shuffled from one foot to the other, just sort of swaying.  “I don’t need anyone to watch over me.”

“I know,” Jareth said, meaningfully.  The meaning was, “But should you do need me, I’ll be there.”

“I’m not going to forget you,” Toby insisted, hooking his chin on Jareth’s shoulder.  “I promise.”

Jareth said nothing.  Maybe this was their first dance, or their last.  But for now, they were here, together.  For now, that was good enough.

“And mind your hand on my bum, mister,” Jareth growled.  “Don’t think I’m not aware of your drawings of me.”

“I have a very active imagination,” Toby did not try to apologize, nor did he move his hand.

Jareth chuckled, like a tiger’s purr, “And that’s what I like about you!”


End file.
